Benson, Edward Frederic.  Blotting Book.  Sr. Doubleday.  8-23104.

"Describes the devilish ingenuity with which a middle-aged barrister of hitherto spotless reputation, contrived to cast suspicion upon his young client of having committed a murder which was in fact his own work.  He was exceeding clever, but as the event turned out, too clever for his own safety.  Skillful detective work discovered the truth by means of the very things he had done to conceal his traces.  The story deals chiefly with the crime and the trial." 
Outlook.

"Develops into a skillful protrayal of the character and self-deception of a hypocritical egotist." 
A L A Bkl 4:267.  N '08

"Falling to hold us as a mystery, the tale fails of its purpose." 
Ath 190S.  2:234.  Ag. 29 120w

"There is somewhat too much pretense of keeping up the mystery with the reader, somewhat too strong a content in that a many may lie, steal, and comit murder, and yet go about his cheerful way not seeing himself for the villain that he is, but these defects in no wis interfere with the interest of the story." 
N Y Times 13:478.  Ag 29 '08.  270w

"We wish the detection of the criminal had been treated in a less sketchy manner." 
Outlook 90:135.  S 5 '08.  150w

"The little story is exciting, it marches rapidly to its conclusion, and, further, it is singularly unlike the usual work of Mr. Benson, the student 
of social manners." 
Spec 101:337.  S 5 '08.  160w